vboxmanage cant find vm if gui not open

[alienheartbeat]

Using Virtualbox 4.3 under (k)ubuntu 14.04

I have been using Virtualbox under (k)ubuntu for several years, with Linux and Windows guests.

Over the last few months a new problem has started:
I can start VMs from the gui
I can start VMs from cli if the gui is open
BUT
if the gui is not open,
vboxmanage startvm..
gives an error:
Could not find a registered machine named ...

It happens on 3 different laptops.

Also
Exactly the same problem exists with other vboxmanage commands
eg vboxmanage unregistervm,
the VM can't be found if the gui is not open but is found if the gui is opened.
Also,
If one VM is open, then I can start another from the cli even if I have closed the gui.

It behaves like the gui is setting a variable the cli needs, and unsetting it when it (and all VMs) are closed.

any ideas?

[Perryg]

Post the guests log file ( as an attachment ). Right click on the guest in the Main Manager then click show log. Save and post as an attachment. Compress if it is too large to post.

[alienheartbeat]

I have attached the guest log from the gui, but by definition this is from a successful start of the VM.
It is attached as K43r-2016-07-26-22-34-09.log

I have also attached the ~/.config/VirtualBox/VBoxSVC.log
this is the log from the failed start attempt, when the gui was closed.
It is attached as VBoxSVC.log.

Also, here is the cli output from the failed start (ie when the gui was closed):

Code: Select all

vboxmanage startvm K43r
VBoxManage: error: Could not find a registered machine named 'K43r'
VBoxManage: error: Details: code VBOX_E_OBJECT_NOT_FOUND (0x80bb0001), component VirtualBox, interface IVirtualBox, callee nsISupports
VBoxManage: error: Context: "FindMachine(Bstr(pszVM).raw(), machine.asOutParam())" at line 575 of file VBoxManageMisc.cpp

[Perryg]

I suggest you remove the Ubuntu fork and install the official version from virtualbox.org. Other than that you will need to ask the Ubuntu folks why this is happening. I can tell you that it works as it is supposed to with the official version.

[alienheartbeat]

the Ubuntu fork

According to:
posting.php?mode=reply&f=7&t=78883

Before version 4.0, there were two editions of VirtualBox: a full binary containing all features and an "Open Source Edition" (OSE) with source code. With version 4.0, there is only one version any more, which is open source, and the closed-source components have been moved to a separate extension pack.

Are you saying this is incorrect?

The reason for getting it from the Ub repos is that it is just so much easier to maintain. Updates happen automatically. Getting it from the "official" source is a very manual, time consuming process, though of course the end result is the same. And the number of problems I have is about the same ;-)

[Perryg]

What I said is true. We have no idea what has been changed in their version. You have the right to use anything you want and I applaud you but you will need to ask them for support because we have no idea what they have changed. I can tell you that almost all the people I have helped have resolved these kind of issue by switching to the official version.

[socratis]

though of course the end result is the same

If they were the same, Perry wouldn't ask you to install the official version. We do for every user that installs the forked version of their distro. The distro forks change things in ways that it is impossible for us to track down and keep a record of. Ergo, if you want help from the users on this forum, you need the official version. Otherwise, distros have their own forums as well.

Edit: I'm not throwing away a nice reply just because Mr. Perry happens to have faster typing skills

[socratis]

I just read the whole thread from the beginning and I have a question:
Are you running the VM from the CLI as the same user that created the VM?

[alienheartbeat]

Of course running as the same user - and he is a member of vboxusers group.

I do understand that you chaps would like everybody to install from Oracle
but as this is the virtualbox.org forum,
let me keep the question here
and see if some nice person has a useful and helpful insight.

To repeat a summary of the question:
vboxmanage cant find the the VMs if the gui not open.
Detail is in the original post, logs in the 3rd post.

[socratis]

I do understand that you chaps would like everybody to install from Oracle

You do realize that we have a stake in this and we get a 50% share from the profits of each download, right? I can't afford to lose downloaders.

but as this is the virtualbox.org forum, let me keep the question here

(emphasis mine)
Exactly. This is the VirtualBox forum for the official version of VirtualBox. There are usually dedicated forums for forks. I suggest you cross-post in the Ubuntu forum for their VirtualBox fork.

The folks here that know how to read the tea leaves (aka the logs) will tell you immediately to switch to the official version. No way around it.

[alienheartbeat]

Allow me to repeat Oracle's position on this from posting.p ... =7&t=78883

Before version 4.0, there were two editions of VirtualBox: a full binary containing all features and an "Open Source Edition" (OSE) with source code. With version 4.0, there is only one version any more, which is open source, and the closed-source components have been moved to a separate extension pack.

So ther is only 1 version of Virtualbox, so please be nice and stop trying to muddy this question off this forum. Let is stand on its own merits.

[socratis]

You don't seem to get it, do you?
• There is a basic open-source VirtualBox version (no ExtPack after version 4.0 is included).
• People can fork it.
• People do fork it.
• They brand it differently so it is obvious that it is a fork. In the very first line of the logs.
• You are using a fork.
• You can't get help here if you're using a fork.
Which part don't you understand?

so please be nice and stop trying to muddy this question off this forum. Let is stand on its own merits.

I am being as nice as I can and I'm trying to help you, by pointing you to take the proper course of action. Your question cannot stand on its own because you start with the wrong assumptions. If you don't want to, I don't think that this conversation has any future.

[alienheartbeat]

Well, if you have decided this now is an Oracle only forum,
(in the past I was able to ask and answer questionsa)
not much I can do, so I'll bow out.

[socratis]

Well, if you have decided this now is an Oracle only forum

I, personally, have not decided anything. It has been the policy (for years actually, before I joined, less so becoming a mod) not to support the forked versions, because a) we don't know what they change, and b) it would be a nightmare with all the distro-forks that are out there.

Just one last question: why don't you want to install the official version? Everybody and their mother is doing it. Why not you?

[JSA]

Alienheartbeat

Your issue sounds something like mine. See topic 79398. (Vbox Manager can not see VM Started on a Console).

On your Kbuntu what version of KDE are you running, and is it using KDM or SDDM or what.
Im on 5.1.2 and my issue sounds a lot like what you are seeing.